Have a sheep shearing fiber festival right at your library! Learn how shepherds care for sheep from lamb to ewe, and watch one of the flock lose their fleece.
Then, make a drop spindle from recycled CD's, and after carding you can spin the wool right from the sheep! This program provides patrons with a working knowledge of sheep breeds and their various uses around the world, and wool and spindle to bring home to keep on spinning!
This program is suitable for 2017 summer reading.

Build a more sustainable world with Jay Mankita's fun, interactive songs on reducing, reusing, recycling, and renewing, plus composting, anti-littering, and groundwater awareness. Serious topics, framed in fun! An exciting mix of material featuring Jay’s guitar and keyboard, After 2,000 performances throughout the Northeast, Jay is ready to rock, enrich, and inspire with his eco-friendly show! This concert is great for all-age audiences, and as in all Playful Earth concerts, there is nothing 'juvenile' here; older kids and parents/caregivers will love the show.

Tom performs humorous, VERY participatory (often even a bit athletic!) songs for kids, teachers, and families at schools and libraries. Fun is the guiding principle. He performed 82 library programs during the summer of 2016, and has delighted tens of thousands over the past twenty years. He accompanies himself on guitar, banjo and harmonica, and a drum machine helps keep things nice and upbeat. Tom travels with a great sound system for use as needed- it works well outside, too. He can usually be booked for $275 with no mileage fee ($250 each for within 60 miles of Ithaca or for 3 or more all booked together)- please see below for details. Dozens of area references are available upon request.
'Tom is a wonderfully engaging performer... sure to raise even the most reticent out of their seat! We 'howled at the moon, sang a wild thing tune', and wanted more!' - Nicole Carner, Library Director, Pember Library, Granville
'Tom is masterful both as a musician and in how he relates to his audience... his sense of humor and sheer fun shines throughout it all. He is a winner every time!' Mary Gleason, Children's Librarian, Irondequoit Library

Program of new songs with traditional routes highlighting care of the Adirondacks and our world. Some of the songs can be heard at http://rusticriders.net/music.html. Connection to books that have informed the music will demonstrated.

Learn how to create beautiful jewelry from the wings of a butterfly! Delicate work involves cutting a small piece of wing, mounting it in a sterling silver plating, and covering it with waterproof apoxy. Necklaces, Rings, Bracelets, Charms, Earrings, Bookmarks, Table Weights.
Pieces must dry overnight, and may be taken home by the participants or kept at the library for a 24 hour period.
We will also discuss what types of butterflies we are using as well as their life-cycle.
This program is suitable for the 2017 Summer reading program.

Sing along, play percussion instruments and enjoy moving around as we use our imaginations to bring these songs about insects, crawdads and other creepy crawlers to life at your library. This program may also include looking at books and can be presented with or without supplemental educational materials.

Once upon a time there was a talkative little turtle who had an ambitious dream - to fly! He was so captivated by the idea of seeing the world from way up in the air, that he spoke about it constantly to all the other animals in the forest, wondering how he could accomplish his goal.
Based on a Native American legend, this is a play about reaching beyond the every day and striving to do more, even when it seems to be impossible.
Puppeteer Robert Rogers has applied all the imagination and skill that he has acquired over a 31 year career.

It’s a race for survival; yours. Do you know what to do if you get lost in the woods? What happens if you have to stay outdoors? Can you use the natural world around you to find your way? We'll learn some of these survival strategies thru activities and projects you can bring home for your own survival kit
We do this through activities, games and participants always have some project to bring home with them.
Extra $5/person fee for this program

Learn from either Kele the Kestrel of Talon the Hawk what it takes to live as a bird of prey. How do these birds hunt, make nests, raise their young, fly and migrate for the winter? Our talking bird mascots can show you how!

* Inclusion in this database does not indicate endorsement of any performer
or program by the NYS Education Department, the Office of Cultural Education, the NYS Library or the participating
library systems, nor does it eliminate the need for reference checks and appropriate standard screening procedures.